Rangers OF Nomar Mazara was on the verge of a breakthrough last year. Can he achieve it this season?

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Texas Rangers right fielder Nomar Mazara (30) gets high-fives in the dugout after a home run hit during the first inning of an MLB game between the Texas Rangers and the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday, August 16, 2018 at Globe Life Park in Arlington. (Ashley Landis/The Dallas Morning News)

Three years into outfielder Nomar Mazara's career with the Rangers, this is his offensive profile: 20 homers annually with an average around .260 and a slugging percentage of about .425.

The numbers are about average for a front-line corner outfielder. That is not enough, Mazara said. It is time for him to advance to a higher level.

"I know I can do more than that," Mazara said. "That's why I'm working hard every day, to get the best out of me."

Mazara was on the verge of a breakthrough last season. In the first half, he was "in a good place" at the plate and had 15 homers with 58 RBIs.

Everything changed in the final series before the All-Star break, when Mazara sprained his right thumb trying to make a diving catch. He spent one month on the disabled list and dealt with debilitating pain in the thumb for the remainder of the season.

The injury dramatically affected his swing. It became more defensive as Mazara tried to protect the aching thumb. He had only five homers with 19 RBIs after the break.

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"I wanted to play," Mazara said. "I'd never sat that long in my life. I was going crazy. When I got back, I was excited to start playing again. But after a while, my thumb started hurting more."

Mazara avoided offseason surgery, focusing on a rehabilitation program. He still feels stiffness in the joint on cold days, but not enough to deter him. Mazara took vigorous swings without difficulty during the club's mini-camp this week.

"It's good," Mazara said.

That alone should help Mazara's production. The Rangers hope a connection with new hitting coach Luis Ortiz will also bring out bigger things from Mazara.

They worked together in 2012, Mazara's first professional season. Mazara mentioned "the communication we have is better" but did not elaborate.

Ortiz's task will be to get more power out of Mazara.

Power usually takes a while to show. That has been the case with Mazara. He has not cracked the top 50 for slugging percentage in a single season among major leaguers with at least 475 at-bats. Mazara was 65th last season, with a career-high slugging percentage of .436.

"For me, I think I'm going to keep getting better and better because my confidence is going to be there," Mazara said. "I can do a lot of things to help this team win."

Mazara, who will turn 24 in April, is among several young hitters that Ortiz will mold.

If Ortiz gets through to them, the lineup becomes more threatening. The Rangers were average on offense last season, ranking seventh in the American League with 4.55 runs per game. They also were second in strikeouts with 9.2 per game.

"It's not just me," Mazara said. "We're working in the right direction. We have good chemistry. We're hungry to get out there and do the things we can to win.